Toxic Waste, as Women's Issue

Toxic waste, also called hazardous waste, may take many forms, from nuclear radiation to air, wind, ground, and water pollution, and is caused by the careless use or accidental spills of toxic chemicals. These and other forms of waste often result in the destruction of our forests and waterways and pollute the atmosphere and soil. Toxic waste began as a byproduct of the commercial and manufacturing activities of industrialization but has since expanded and is now a problem among other industries as well, including medical, agricultural, and military industries. Toxic waste is often hazardous to the environment and human health and can increase mortality and morbidities for those who are exposed.

Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring, published in 1962, spawned new concerns for how environmental degradation may affect our health and well-being. Carson, a scientist, writer, and ecologist, wrote Silent Spring to inform the public about the potential lasting harmful effects of the haphazard use of synthetic chemicals on humans, animals, and our environment. She stressed the importance of diversification of plant and animal species as a way to avoid overuse of pesticides and advocated strongly for people's right to know about environmental contamination. During the 1970s and 1980s, many industries advanced their use and production of hazardous chemicals but often failed to ensure public safety.

Specifically, nuclear accidents at the Three Mile Island power station in Pennsylvania in 1979 and at a Chernobyl power station in the Ukraine in 1986 released massive amounts of radioactivity into the environment. These events increased fear about the dangers of nuclear power, and people living in the aftermath of these disasters face social, psychological, health, and economic problems. Daily life for women living near Chernobyl changed drastically after the incident as a result of food contamination and concerns for their children's health. Although long-term effects from exposure are still being investigated, there has been a significant increase in thyroid cancer among children.

In another incident, the transnational American company Union Carbide set up a pesticide-producing plant in Bhopal, India, in 1970. An explosion at the plant on December 3, 1984, killed thousands of people in ghastly ways within a few hours and has killed approximately 20,000 people since then as a result of their exposure to the toxins. The local water and soil are still so heavily contaminated with lead, mercury, and organochlorines that birth defects, reproductive disorders, and other disabilities continue to affect each generation. Women continue to experience severe reproductive health problems, including menstrual irregularities, miscarriage, premature menopause, increased rates of cervical cancer, and pelvic inflammatory disease, among others.